Whether we visit our doctor for a sniffle or a cough, or something more worrying, it is vital that we keep a good handle on our health. Cardiac disorders are the second most common reason for worldwide deaths and high blood pressure or “hypertension” as it is often called is invariably implicated at one level or another in cardiac related cases. If only we had an automatic defense to ward off high blood pressure; but Nature has provided us with some helpful pointers and for those who may be suffering from high blood pressure, the warning signs are there for us to find if we take the trouble to look. The “silent killer” as high blood pressure is sometimes described arrives quietly and without drama so it simply makes sense to have regular blood pressure checkups.
• It is quite likely that at some time, you have experienced a feeling of dizziness or light headedness. This may be due simply to tiredness, which will pass once you’ve had a nap or a good night’s sleep but the same sensation has also been linked to high blood pressure or in a Murphy’s Law scenario, both factors may be involved!
• Cognitive issues such as mild confusion and short term memory lapses could be a sign of high blood pressure, something which could be implicated in the early stage in development of vascular dementia.
• It has also been attributed to and possibly confused by ear canal dysfunction but then again, perhaps it is one or the other or a combination of the two! As it happens, I have personally been diagnosed with both and after undergoing a specialist cardiac investigation and later, tests by an audiologist, I now have it under control!
• Heredity; that is your genes – Your ethnicity can be relevant in the development of hypertension, in addition to your familial background. which may be seen as a raw deal if it is the case as we have no choice about our family but there are treatments and medication.
• Hardening of the arteries has been shown to lead to elevated blood pressure. Unfortunately to confuse matters, hypertension has also been shown to be a cause of hardening of the arteries. You will come across explanations on both fronts! Reference is made to some other potential repercussions of hardening of the arteries later in this article.
• Blurring of sight and “floaters” can also be a related to elevated blood pressure
• Sporadic nosebleeds may not have any obvious cause especially if we don’t have allergies or have not sustained an injury to the nasal cavity but they can be indicators of high blood pressure.
• Ringing in the ears or tinnitus as it is also called is an affliction from which many people suffer but it has also been associated with high blood pressure.
• Another symptom of hypertension is experiencing breathing difficulties when lying down.
• Shortness of breath during regular daily routines as in walking, climbing from the bath, climbing even a short flight of stairs.
• I am not going to preach about this one so have left it to last and will only include this one paragraph. High blood pressure and smoking are inextricably linked. The nicotine elevates your blood pressure, lowers your “good” HDL cholesterol, reduces the oxygen level in your blood and increases the chances of blood clots and all the potentially devastating consequences they can bring about including heart attack and stroke. The good news is that within hours, your blood pressure and heart rate will start to decrease. OK. No more will be said on the subject!
The purpose of this article has been to alert you to the dangers of suffering from hypertension and in that respect, I believe I have been successful. As you might suspect, there other symptoms of hypertension but I have tried to deal with some of the most common
The conclusion should be obvious – check your blood pressure regularly! It is too easy to miss the symptoms but a blood pressure check takes only a minute and early detection and treatment quite simply could give you a quality of life that perhaps had been slipping away almost unnoticed; and not wanting to sound too dramatic, it must be said that it could even save you from a premature death! A simple trip to your physician or the practice nurse is all you need do or make it even easier in the longrun and buy your own home blood pressure monitor and do your whole family a favour at the same time.
